As in the days of Noah...

In Proverbs God talks of a generation with ungodly characteristics.

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. -- Proverbs 30:11-12

In 2 Timothy the apostle Paul provides a prophetic profile or ''checklist'' ofthe identifying characteristics of ''the generation'' who will see the unfoldingof the end time prophecies.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. -- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

What a List! I encourage you to read it again; this time with the newsheadlines in front of you.

Let''s take a moment to summarize through this verse. Follow along and see foryourself how many seem to fit today''s headlines and society. (note these are notin order of the verse but rather organized by theme)

1. Lovers of Own Selves, boasters, proud, blasphemers, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away - full of pride and arrogance a mocking independence from God honoring only Man not the creator.
2. Covetous (Lovers of Money) - It seems that all society does is strive for more money..... the pursuit of money is the only goal and the acquiring of money.. the only success. The want of more and to acquire things and want what other’s have.
3. Disobedient to Parents - defiant children, disrespectful.
4. Unthankful - No recognition of from where blessings come.
5. Without natural affection – Disrespect for human life. Violence
6. Slanderers, without Self Control - This comes straight out of the arrogance and the thought that Man is superior and can do anything. Disrespect.
7. Without natural affection – The disrespect of human life, murders, abortion etc.
8. Trucebreakers, Traitors, False Accusers – It’s all around us. Everyone worried about me, me me.. and could care less about loving others as you love yourself.
9. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God – Look at all the ways that we have found to entertain ourselves and bring us pleasure. We have an emptiness that we try to fill with earthly things, that we should be seeking in God.

These 9 points certainly describe the pulse of the days we live in do theynot?. With everyday that I read the news and look for prophetic headlines, thereare far, far too many of them that are relevant to this 2 Timothy passage. Let’shave a last look again at the first verse in this passage:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come”. – 2 Timothy 3:1

The word perilous translated from the Greek means “difficult, dangerous,fierce or perilous”. The only other time this word ‘chalepos’ is used inthe bible is found in Matthew 8:28 where it is used to describe a man who haddemons and was out of control; Wild like an untamed animal – savage.

Author Stephen Covey, in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly EffectiveFamilies, provides an insight into our lives today.

“Over the past thirty years, the situation for families has changed powerfully and dramatically. Illegitimate birth rates have increased more that 400 percent. The percentage of families headed by a single parent has more than tripled. The divorce rate has more that doubled. Teenage suicide has increased almost 300 percent. Scholastic Aptitude Test scores among all students have dropped seventy-three points. The number one health problem for American women today is domestic violence. One fourth of all adolescents contract a sexually transmitted disease before they graduate from high school.”

Covey goes on to mention another startling fact. Do you know what the mostreported problems in the 1940 school classrooms were? Covey mentions them:

• Talking out of turn;
• Chewing gum;
• Making noise;
• Running in the halls;
• Cutting in line;
• Dress code infractions; and
• Littering

For a comparison let’s have a look at the problems within the schools ofthe 1990’s were:

• Drug abuse;
• Alcohol abuse;
• Pregnancy;
• Suicide;
• Rape;
• Theft;
• Assault;

Friends… these are savage times. Timothy tells us that perilous (chalepos)times shall come… what we need to realize is that these days HAVE come. Theyare not coming... they are here.

A Generation of Liars?

Take a look at what is said in 2 Timothy 3:13:

"Evil men and impostors [seducers] will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” -- 2 Tim 3:13

Author Craig Crawford says the following.

"The Scriptures tell us God cannot lie and He hates all liars. God says truth is non-negotiable and is fundamental to His law. In the past, liars and perjurers were dealt with harshly and severely. Today we see lying casually accepted and even presented as funny or harmless. In God’s eyes, elected leaders of a democracy are mirrors which reflect the people who elected them and willingly keep them in office. As noted, telling the truth is fundamental to God’s law. In the Bible we find when a nation and its leader(s) defiantly mock, ignore, and turn their backs on God’s law, God will turn His back on that nation and remove His protection and blessings from that people. God help us. The future of that people and nation is usually very, very grim. The other distressing thing found in this prophecy is God warning us the deception and lying will continue to grow even worse and worse. The leaders of “this generation” will not only disobey and ignore God’s laws but will even brand God’s laws as “intolerant” and will somehow twist obedience to God’s laws into “hate.”

Hmmm....sounds familiar doesn''t it.

2 Peter also gives some additional insight into the ''heartbeat'' of the lastdays:

"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." -- 2 Peter 3:3-4

 The world seems to be full of scoffers. They look at us Christians andsay…..Ha….you''re dreaming? Where is this Christ? It’s all a dream…. It’snot real… you’ve been duped. “This generation” will ridicule those whotake the warnings of the Bible seriously and wait in faith.  What willpeople “scoff” at? What events constitute “the promise of His coming?”The world will scoff at those of us who believe and they themselves will blindlybelieve that life here on earth will simply ‘evolve’ and that we will moveon as we always have.  This mentality is echoed in the words of Isaiah.

“Come,” one says, “I will bring wine, and we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink; tomorrow will be as today, and much more abundant.” -- Isa 56:12

And yet the prophecy and the scriptures say that life will not continueendlessly as it is now.   For God has always had a plan for thisworld, and it seems as though the last phase of the plan is unfolding before oureyes.

Maranatha!

-- J.R.Hall

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